Death Note: LxReader, New Assistant
by compactdisc66
Summary: A fanfiction I also uploaded on Deviantart. Continuing.
1. Chapter 1

"You are having difficulty competing against me in everything but chess."

L's hunched figure perched on the cinnamon-coloured chair at the other side of the table bent to study the chess game. I shifted nervously on the floor across from him in the sunlight streaming from the window, wondering if this were meant to be demeaning or a compliment. Deciding not to respond, I thought ahead to my next three moves. L lifted his thin, delicate hand and knock my knight out with his queen. "Your paperwork, organization, cleaning, and general secretary skills are impressive. Although your skills in chess are quite exceptional, you will lose."

"I am aware of the fact," I said, moving my bishop so that it was directly in line with his king.

L immediately put his rook between his king and the attacker. He pulled back his hand to his mouth, rubbing his pale lip with his thumb. His dark black eyes focused upon the board almost lazily, and yet with an imperative eagerness. I hung my head down towards my lap, blushing when I realized I was staring impolitely. But I couldn't help but glance back up to gaze at the black hair covering most of his snow-pale face, trying to look through those perceptive eyes, behind which lay encased in bone the most intelligent brain in the entirety of the world. His beautiful skin acted as a mirror, reflecting the light and creating a halo of soft light around his thin, almost anorexically-bony body.

I blushed furiously and stared to the side. Nothing would ever happen between us, excepting only my imagination. In a way, I almost didn't want to ever have a relationship with him; it was almost as if he were the closest to God that I would ever come to on earth. Though it may be selfish, I don't want to ruin that by seeing a weakness in him.

Within the next two minutes the game was over. I stood and cleared up the game, my head bent low so that I wouldn't have to meet his stare. I could feel the piercing of his eyes searing into the back of my head. I blushed, turning away to set the game on the bookshelf so that he wouldn't see.

"Why do you play?"

I turned around to look at him curiously. His eyes were empty of any emotion and his voice did not express any either. "Why do you play chess if you said yourself that you know you will not win?"

I walked to sit back on the floor across from him, pondering over his question. Why did I? "Because I find it fun and informative at the same time," I finally answered. "Because I like playing against you. Whether I like what I'm doing or not, I do it mainly because I enjoy being with you." I blushed a little as I said it, and there was no way to hide my embarrassment.

He stared at my forehead, lost in thought, his thumb on his lip. "Hm." His lack of conversation made me feel even more awkward. He's going to know I like him, it's going to feel awkward every time we're in the same room, he's going to act aloof and above me, he won't ever come to see me and-

"You will make a good assistant," he said decisively out of the silence.


	2. Chapter 2

"Is there any reason you are still here?"

I quickly turned to see L standing in the doorway that had previously been closed. From my chair at the desk, I could see the dark shadows filling the room behind him totally opposite from my small office. Almost like when God created light, and made it separate from the dark.

Turning back to the chest-high stack of papers before me, I shook my head. "First because I was waiting for my dismissal," I said, scribbling a few words to one of L's 'clients', "and second because I have to continue working, as I believe this paperwork clearly shows." I gestured with one of the papers in my hands and continued writing.

Without looking up, I heard him softly patter over to the center of the brightly lit, green room. "Come," he called in a demanding yet gentle voice. "Please play chess with me."

Looking up at him, I saw his crouched figure setting up the chess pieces on the board lying on the white carpet. His cloud-pale skin made the white carpet seem dull or dirtied, forever incomparable to his skin. "Now?" I asked uncertainly. I'd just explained to him the amount of work still ahead of me...

He only continued to set up the game. I set my papers down, walked over to his childlike form, and sat on the other side of the chess table. "We both know I'll lose," I said, smoothing out my hair and pulling it from my face. "Why do you want to play against an opponent that is obviously much, much weaker than you? And when you know you'll win?"

L moved his first piece. "For the same reason you play with me even though you know you will lose," he whispered quickly under his breath. "Because I enjoy... playing against you as my opponent."

I glanced up at him shyly. His face was emotionless as he pondered over the board. There wasn't even a hint of embarrassment or anything remotely related to his comment. Moving my piece, I stared back at my lap, not even really thinking about my move. "Well thank you for putting up with me," I said, fiddling with my fingers. "It's very nice of you to play chess with someone who's fate of losing is inevitable."

For a few minutes afterwards, there was only silence interrupted occasionally by a piece being placed. But a voice so soft I could barely make it out breathed, "You're welcome."

I blushed as I looked into those black eyes blending in with the shadows that had crept in from his own room. There was no light left, no separation, everything filled with the same amount and same kind of substance. Everything equal.

The night continued on, and the light of morning would find us still playing the same game. I knew L was making bad moves for me, but I didn't comment. I was too thrilled that he was making them for me in the first place. It was the first time he'd ever made bad moves for anyone, and I was honoured and somewhat insulted at the same time.

More honoured, though.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you for allowing me the day off," I said as I closed my suitcase and rose to leave the sunlit office.

L stood by the door, his bare right foot lifting up slowly to itch his left knee. "What keeps you from work today?" he asked in his monotone voice. His eyes followed me around the room until I stood before him, ready to leave.

"My younger cousins are participating in a performance for their ballet program," I said, flattening my skirt. "I don't see them often, and I haven't been to one of their ballet performances yet. I'll be back at lunch, though. One will be turning seven this week." I smiled, remembering that I still had to buy her a gift.

I saw his face take on a sort of lonely look, but as though it were a normal thing for him. "You may accompany me, if you don't have any imperative prior engagements."

As soon as I said this, he opened the door and held it for me, slightly more excitement revealed on his face. "I would be happy to join you," he said, closing the door behind us and shuffling to the elevator. "I've never been to a ballet performance before. I would very much like to see one."

The car ride to the nearby music and arts center was quite awkward and silent. L kept his dark eyes focused ahead of the car the entire time. Even so, I felt like he was thinking over and criticizing my every move at the wheel, no matter how slight. Finally we arrived, and I saw my aunt about to enter through the large glass doors and into the hall inside. Pointing her out to L as we got out of the car, I said, "That woman in red is my aunt, Yoshiko. I'll show you my cousins when we're inside."

There were a few stares and grunts in L's direction about underdressing as we seated ourselves only a few rows from the broad stage. Sliding my purse into the slot next to me, I laughed silently to myself thinking of what their faces would look like if they were informed of L's true identity. They'd be honoured that he came to this recital in the first place.

All the lights dimmed excluding the ones at the foot of the stage, illuminating it with a haunted and eerily dim light. Light music began playing softly, hinting at suppressed and simple sadness. Suddenly a shimmery white glitter began to fall from the ceiling over the stage, just as the first ballerina jumped onto the floor with her leg outstretched so she lay upon the floor in a dramatic position. On the other side, another ballerina did the same thing, but with her head high and her neck stretched, expressing suffering and sadness. I could feel the audience's captivation, just as I was.

A few times throughout the recital, I would turn to look at my guest. Every time his eyes were focused on the performers upon the stage. At the very end when the performers gathered on stage to give a bow to the roaring crowd of family and friends, I pointed to my two cousins near the side of the stage. "That's Etsu there, and there's Chika beside her with the blue leotard on." L nodded in response, his thumb to his lips again.

We rose and traveled backstage to greet my cousins. They jumped up to hug me, pulling me down to the floor and introducing me to their new friends from their ballet classes. When I could finally rise, I saw L waiting patiently a few feet away.

"Etsu, Chika," I began, turning them towards L, "this is my... boss, you might say. He is known as L. Go introduce yourselves and your friends to him." I pushed the eager children in his direction and went to their mother.

"I'm so glad we could see each other again!" she said, embracing me with her thin arms. "I've missed you so much!" We parted and her smile was so wide I was worried her face might rip in half.

We talked only for a short time before L called out to me. "Please, your cousins and company are slightly out of control."

I looked over to see that L's pants were down, replaced by a tutu that was almost completely see-through. His face showed little emotion, although I was certain that his current situation, the laughing girls, and the giggling parents made him very uncomfortable and embarrassed. In fact, in his listless eyes I believe I saw him pleading with me to get him out of his predicament.

Since there was no restroom, L had to shuffle through the parking lot and to the car before he was able to pull up his pants in the privacy of the front seat. Luckily the people who had previously been standing outside left with their children by this time, or else I'm sure someone would have called the police.

Back at the office I resumed my position at the desk and shifted through the papers piled atop it. "My cousins really do like you," I said as L sat melancholically in the chair at the center of the room. "They've invited you to Etsu's birthday party next weekend. If you don't want to come I understand. What they did was quite rude."

L seemed to put a nonchalant air on as he picked at his lower lip, but I sensed something was different. Unsure if it was good or bad, however, I lowered my head to stare at the files before me. He will most definitely say no, I thought to myself.

So it was a surprise to hear him answer positively.


End file.
